Chapter Eighteen

Hating the fact he had to be helped onto the enormous animal, Marius sulked while he adjusted behind Dallas, who was chuckling really low, but not low enough so Marius didn't hear.

"Keep it up, cowboy, and I'll take your ass to the worst neighborhood in Toledo and leave you there."

"I think I could handle it," he said, pulling the reins to the left and the horse headed away from the stables. The second horse, that Marius knew he'd be riding if Dallas had his way, was tethered to the saddle bag, and once they were all moving, Marius grew weary.

"You sure I should even go?"

"You're going. You live on a ranch now, and with the weather and shit, you'll need to know how to ride a damn horse."

He wasn't thrilled with the prospect of riding in the snow, but he clammed up to tighten his arms around Dallas.

Not that it hurt him to do that. Holding the man was one of his favorite things, but it wasn't a short drop off the horse and the ground was littered with sharp rocks, cacti and probably snakes the size of a Volkswagen.

"What, uh…what are the chances we see, you know, like big cats or bears or that kind of thing."

"See that thing your leg is over on the right?"

Marius quickly looked down see a rifle, a thirty ought six, to be specific. "Oh. Right."

"Why don't you have one on you all the time? I thought that was a mob thing, to pack heat or whatever."

"I used to carry them all the time, in the city. Here? Well, before the dead body and the thought of rabid skunks, I might have to start again."

"When we go out, I'd appreciate it. We don't know what we can come up on out here. Bears and mountain lions are about the lowest worry on my list."

Marius moved around the back rim of Dallas's hat, laughing as he did. "You gotta wear this thing?"

He took it off and laughed. "Sorry. I don't usually ride with anyone. I'll wear a cap next time if you're not on your own horse, but I suggest you get a hat. The sun is unforgiving."

Marius didn't think it was. "It's fuckin' cloudy today!"

Dallas turned his head to see Marius, and he guessed it was to see if he were serious. "You do know the…nevermind. Just wear a fucking hat next time."

"I'm Mediterranean, sweetheart. We have more melanin than you white boys."

Dallas chuckled again. "You do realize Italy is in Europe, right?"

"Yeah, I sure do, smart ass."

Dallas made some clicking noise with his tongue and moved the reins, and before Marius knew it, the horse started to slowly run. Holding on tighter, he yelled, "Running, really?"

"It's a canter, and I'm ready to get away from the ranch proper." Marius's ass was clenched like he was trying to keep out King Kong's dick and his arms were so tightly wound around Dallas, he was surprised the guy could breathe.

Once they got a mile or so, Dalas slowed the horses and patted Marius's hands. "You can loosen up now."

Marius did, but reserved the right to tighten his arms again. "Stay going slow then!"

Dallas pointed off to the west. "I saw the searchers heading off in that direction the last time they were out here. I think the northeast corner of the property is where I'm going to search next week, then move out into the other areas."

Marius set his chin on Dallas's shoulder, feeling the man's muscles moving under his T-shirt. Out ahead of them, the land was stretching out, and in every direction his eyes moved, there was more beauty to see.

Trees, yeah, they were all great, but even the ground and the fucking rocks were beautiful. Living in the city, the only time he noticed rocks was to find the right one to throw through some window.

Once they got a couple miles farther, Dallas veered their steed off to the right, moving east. More beauty, more birds flying from trees, hearing their approach.

The skies were filled with clouds, but not one was black. They were mostly white puffs of cotton balls with a few gray ones mixed in for contrast. The birds flying against those clouds seemed almost to move in slow motion like the clouds were telling them it was one of those rare lazy days.

Being out there with Dallas made it better, somehow. He knew the land, the drops off the sheer cliffs standing over reveens and more beauty below. He knew where the best vantage points on the place were, and they dismounted near one of these cliffs.

Dallas handed him the rifle from the straps on the saddle and said, "Watch for predators, but I'm going to look around for signs of bodies."

"What signs?"

"Buzzards flying over them, animals migrating to someplace, things like that. You watch out for me."

"Can I watch you, too?"

Dallas went to him and kissed him roughly. "Not now. If you're watching me and a bear is watching you, well, that ain't good for us."

"Right," he said breathlessly.

Dallas retrieved a pair of binoculars from the saddlebags and walked over a little too closely to the cliff for Marius's taste. "You have to stand so close?"

"Yeah. I do. I like it when you're nervous."

Laughing, he said, "Yeah, I'm looking out for predators when you're standing right in front of me."

"I'll drag you back to my den later to eat you."

Marius groaned, "Fuck. Stop it."

As he adjusted his thickening cock, Dallas simply chuckled and moved the binocular to the north of them. "Got three buzzards over there, circling."

"We going over there?"

"Yeah," he said, then moved back to the horse and stuffed the binoculars into the pouch. "After I fuck you."

Marius spun around to see him holding a string of condoms and a small bottle of lube. "Why, Mr. McIntyre, were you a Boyscout?"

"Hell no. I'm just a cowboy, always been one."

Marius didn't know why, but when Dallas spoke like that, he got chills and was hot all at once. "Well, cowboy, when do I get to fuck your pretty ass?"

"I'll think on it, but that won't be today. Get them clothes off and throw ‘em down or you're gonna have sand burn all over your elbows and knees."

Again, a chill shot up his back even as sweat began to gather there. He took off his shirt with one hand while grabbing his crotch with the other, all while staring heatedly at Dallas.

Dallas leaned back on his horse, catching the strip show, smiling like he was ready to tear pieces off him and chew on them.

With his thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans, Dallas seemed to be as casual as the breeze, but Marius knew him better. The look in his eyes, that was pure sex, and even as cold as the breeze was on his bare skin, Marius didn't feel cool in the least.

Once he was nude, he took a step on the cold ground and lifted his arms out to the side, challenging him. "I'm buck nekkid, as you fellas would say. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

One day, he'd have to learn not to challenge men, especially men like Dallas McIntrye.

The man didn't move, didn't even blink, but Marius knew he was in trouble. The fucking air around the guy changed, churning in a way that refracted the light, making him stand in the only shadow in the entire area. After all, there was no sun in the sky to cast a shadow, but he was in one, nonetheless.

Onto the clothes he'd laid down as Dallas said to, he knelt. His arms were still outstretched, eyes dancing with the mischief he felt in Dallas's presence.

"I'm ready, Sir."

Dallas lost his grin and started toward him, and suddenly, he was a nervous wreck. Yeah, he'd fucked strong men before, tough guys, but Dallas was on another level. He got to Marius and stood close, his crotch right in Marius's face. As he tilted his head to look into the face of the man, again, all he could see were his wild eyes through a shadow.

"When you say sir, you say it right, boy."

How many times had he adopted that same voice when pushing into a hot, big stud? He'd never thought in a million years he'd feel his entire body go numb from hearing it, all the blood he had heading right for his cock. Dallas was insanely sexy, and he knew right then that he'd crawl over cactus and snakes alike to do whatever the hell he wanted.

"Yes, Sir. May I suck that big, beautiful cock to make up for it?"

With his mouth filling with saliva, Marius watched Dallas's hand moving to the button on his pants and deftly unbuttoning.

Marius got it, reaching up to slide the zipper down while he watched those eyes staring down at him. Pulling the pants and underwear down enough for that glorious dick of Dallas's to bounce happily free of its constrictions, Marius groaned as he placed his lips around the crown.

He tasted like a man, the smell of sex engulfing Marius completely. His eyes wanted to close so he could better savor that luscious cock, but he couldn't stop looking at Dallas. Those eyes held him like he was powerless to look away, and he didn't mind a bit. Promoted himself, he knew what control was, what demands were made on the man in control. For once, he wanted someone else to take it and run. Dallas seemed to need it. Despite control being the main theme of his life, he wasn't used to it.

Marius's mouth was being fucked slowly, but Dallas held onto Marius's head with both hands while he let his cock slide so deeply, Marius felt his gag reflex start to engage, and try as he might, it was hard to suppress. Yeah, Dallas was that big.

As his eyes watered and he choked some, Marius could barely see it through his tears, but he did see it. Dallas smiled wickedly and jerked his hips in a nasty hard motion that slammed his cock deep in Marius's throat. Air was cut off, the gag reflex going crazy and when Dallas held him there like that, Marius thought he'd made a mistake. It was Dallas who was killing people.

But if he was going to die by cock, so be it. It would be his dream death.

Dallas pulled out suddenly and got on his knees to watch closely as Marius choked and gasped. Tears were running down his cheeks freely, and Dallas was chuckling a dark laugh that was purely evil and sexual. "Thanks for getting me nice and hard. Turn around now so I can abuse that sweet ass."

"Abuse, huh?"

"You got a safeword, same as Ruben."

As he slowly turned around, he said, "Yes, Sir," trying his best to keep it from sounding sarcastic. He didn't want to piss the man off. That was a bad idea with a man like Dallas. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Dallas waiting (im)patiently while he raised his ass nice and high, overly so.

For that little bit of nonverbal sass, he got a stinging slap to the ass. Now, when they were having their talk of limits and such, he'd said he was fine with some pain. Not like Ruben, who was drooling over the mere thought of it, but pain didn't hurt all that much.

The strength, the wickedness of Dallas, well, that might be more than he could handle.

After he yelled out a pitiful "yip", Dallas grabbed his hips in a bruising clutch, positioning them exactly how he wanted them. A little left of where Marius had had them, down some, then he growled, "Don't fucking move or I'll fuck you raw."

"Babe, we discussed the use of condoms. If anything, Ruben will kill us both."

"I wasn't talking about condoms, bitch."

Marius was in the middle of a fearful moan and one that was screaming his need. The thought of that big cock shoving in him sans lube, well, he wasn't thrilled at that prospect.

He heard the top of the lube pop and closed his eyes as his head fell between his shoulders. Soon, that cold hard dick was pushing inside him, and he was still not used to it. Down on his elbows, his forehead braced him on the T-shirt he'd been wearing that was solidly on the hard dirt below.

That mean stretch, damn it was hot. One thing that Marius Anthony Monarco had never realized was how much he loved that first, sweet pain. It cleared his head of absolutely everything. There was no stress, no thoughts of Ohio, his family, his enemies, his friends. Nothing could seep into his head except the feeling of that dick, spreading him open like a nail pounding through a thick piece of hardwood.

Marius grunted as he was entered, but once Dallas was balls-deep in him, he just took long, deep breaths until he adjusted and whispered hoarsely, "Ready, Sir."

Dallas didn't move his hips, but he did reach for him, grabbing both shoulders and bringing him up flush with Dallas's chest. An arm was wrapped around his throat, and his mouth was right near Marius's ear. That breath, like a bull snorting, hot against his ear and neck, Marius curled both hands into fists as he heard Dallas whisper, "I'll tell you when you're ready."

With his free hand running over Marius's chest, Dallas laughed low and menacingly. That rumble from deep in Dallas's chest made him vibrate, or it was him. He didn't know the difference when they were together. They seemed to mesh into one person.

Marius got a crazy surprise right as Dallas's rather gentle caress grew painful when he caught Marius's nipple between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing it like he was trying to pinch it off like the top of a fresh green bean. That crazy picture went through his head, his grandmother, mother and aunts gathered on the porch of their house, cleaning green beans, laughing, gossiping…

Another pinch brought him out of that untimely memory, and his head fell back on Dallas's shoulder. "Fuck, that hurts."

"Does it? You like it, don't you?"

Marius was nodding before he knew what he was doing. But it wasn't a reflex, it was the truth. He liked it more than he'd ever admit to anyone except Dallas and Ruben. At least he thought that at the time.

While he had Marius's nipple clamped in his fingers, Dallas's hips began to rock, slowly fucking Marius while those sparklers lit behind his eyelids. His thoughts ran wild again, fleeting through his mind while Dallas fucked him, making him see stars. How often had he heard that phrase?

For him, they were sparklers, and each time he bulldozed over Marius's prostate and simultaneously tightened his grip on Marius's nipple. The pain and pleasure that stampeded through him at once, it was mind numbing, body warping and he knew that for the rest of his life, he'd crave it like a drug.

The faster Dallas moved, the tighter his grip on his nipple. Just that one nipple, getting all the pain, but he added to that too. One second, he'd bite into the tender flesh of Marius's neck, then he'd tenderly kiss in the same spot. One pain, two tender, over and over, keeping Marius on edge, keeping him waiting for the pain and becoming entranced in the tenderness. It was maddening.

"Open your eyes," Dallas whispered roughly before one of the nastiest bites and Marius did, like Dallas had control over his body instead of Marius having a bit of it. The sky stretched out in the distance, and he couldn't see a bit of ground beneath him. He felt like he was flying, over the ravene, over the water rushing so far below them.

It became clear why Dallas wanted to fuck right where they were. He wanted Marius to feel that exact way. A genius lover, a rough man and a master of the world, that was Dallas. If only he had the confidence in his management skills he did while he was fucking, he'd own the fucking place in a year.

The friction was incredible and constant, heating him through. As he watched, he saw something falling in front of his eyes, and Dallas saw it too, stopping his movements. "I'll be damned. Snowing."

Marius laughed. "Yeah. Snow. I guess you were right."

"I'm always right," he said before pushing him back to his hands and going to town on him like he was a nail gun instead of a hammer, bang, bang, bang as the blood started back to the nipple that had been squeezed, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. The pain surged and he started yelling but bit down on his forearm to keep himself as muffled as he could.

Dallas growled, "What are you trying to hide? We're far from everyone! Scream, bitch!"

Marius did. He screamed out as Dallas pounded him senseless, driving him to an orgasm that he felt as he stared back at the sky, flying there with the crows that had just taken off when they heard his screams.

He was with them on their flight, so high the twenty foot tall trees looked like ants, the ground getting so far away that he felt dizzy, and he collapsed his face into the dirt, because he'd somehow moved his T-shirt. As he blew out the air that had been trapped in his lungs from the climax, a dust cloud powdered his face.

Dallas slapped his ass again, laughing. "Best get up, or you're gonna be frozen."

"I can't get up."

"You're gonna freeze," he said as he knelt on the ground by Marius's head and arms. "Come on."

Marius moved his head enough to see the tiger was gone, replaced by the caring lamb. "I am getting a little cold," he said, laughing, as he moved up to his knees. Dallas rose to his feet and brought Marius with him, holding him close, warming him. "I brought a jacket for you. It's just a hoodie, but it'll help. Get your clothes on and drink some water."

"You didn't bring whiskey? That's warmer."

"You need to stay hydrated out here, as much when it's cold as hot." Dallas held him so tenderly, he grew almost uncomfortable from it. And yet, he wanted to stay right there, in those arms.

Kissed on the head, a mumbled, "You're shivering," and a tightening of his arms made him feel loved. It was crazy, something so simple as Dallas holding him, but he found he felt safe and loved. Safe…had he felt safe at all since he'd grown into a man? Would he have noticed it if he had?

Instead of him gathering his clothes, Dallas kissed his forehead and let go of him to bend over and grab his clothes. "Move your foot, baby."

Baby? As Marius moved his foot, he contemplated that.

He'd said it to Ruben, and he may have even said it to Dallas. Baby? Him?

As he dressed, Dallas watched him, smiling. "That was some great fucking," he said, but in a soft, almost embarrassed way.

Marius sincerely agreed. "One of the best of my life. That cliff, it felt like I was flying."

"I hoped so. Besides naked skydiving, I don't think you could get closer to that any other way."

"Naked parasailing?"

"Landing on the surface of water while we're naked and our dicks are hard? That doesn't sound like fun."

"Guess not," Marius said as he pulled the hoodie over his head. "I guess we'll have to come back here."

"It's a date."

Marius held him before they were set to go. His hands held Dallas's sides while he looked into blue, shining eyes. "That wasn't too much, right?" Dallas asked him.

"Dallas, that was fucking amazing, and I wouldn't change a thing. Stop worrying. I'm a big boy. I can take anything you have to give me."

"Oh yeah?"

Marius kissed him, languishing in that kiss until the wind picked up and moved right through all his clothes. He hugged Dallas tighter to him. "Freezing now."

"Let's get back to the ranch. I need to make sure everyone got the watering holes filled, I'll need to send someone out to break the ice in the morning. Come on, this day just got started."

"And here I was, ready for a damn nap."

"Not on a working ranch, baby. You can help me today, then maybe I'll find time to fuck you again in the office."

"You're on."